When Seiya Suzuki crumpled awkwardly chasing a fly ball in the fourth inning Sunday, a collective gasp went through the Cubs dugout and the Chicago fanbase. The 31-year-old right fielder had to leave the game against the Giants with a knee injury, and given the swirling trade rumors around him, the timing couldn’t have been worse. But the next morning brought a sigh of relief.
Suzuki is in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale in San Francisco — just not in the field. Manager Craig Counsell slotted him in as the designated hitter, a move that tells you the team is being cautious rather than dealing with something serious.
According to Vinnie Duber of The Chicago Sun-Times, the decision was straightforward. “Suzuki is in the Cubs’ lineup, as the DH, for the series finale today by the Bay,” Duber posted on X.
The injury happened in the fourth inning when Suzuki chased a tough fly ball to right-center. He appeared to overextend his knee in an awkward position, immediately grabbing at the joint before exiting the game. After the 6-1 win, Counsell tried to calm concerns. “The reports after he came out were positive,” he said. “But the most important thing is: How is he going to feel tomorrow?”
That question was answered when Suzuki woke up feeling well enough to swing the bat — just not to sprint and dive in the outfield. Suzuki himself acknowledged the uncertainty, telling reporters through an interpreter, “I’m wishing it’s not a big deal. I’ll wake up tomorrow, see how everything feels. If I can go from there, go for it. If not, we’ll see how it goes.”
It’s an unfortunate twist because Suzuki was having one of his better defensive games of the season before the injury. He made an impressive sliding catch earlier in the contest and threw out a runner trying to advance to second base. Those flashes of two-way ability are exactly why the Cubs — and any potential trade partner — value him so highly.
At the plate, Suzuki is hitting .255 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs — solid but unspectacular numbers for a player who has shown he can be more consistent. The Cubs will monitor his condition closely, especially with the July trade deadline approaching and his name popping up in rumors.
For now, the knee scare appears to be just that — a scare. But the decision to keep him out of the field as a precaution underscores how much Chicago needs him healthy, whether as a core piece or as trade bait.
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